Of Skyscrapers
by MissAusten
Summary: DL romance and drama, introducing Danny's little sister who helps bring the two stubborn csi's together. first fic, summary sucks, sorry! PLEASE REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

Danny's eyes opened wide and he blinked in the bright sunlight that was streaming through the window, illuminating the beautiful woman beside him. He took a glance at the clock on his bedside table – 5:02am. Too early to be up, especially for his day off, especially with Montana next to him to snuggle with. They'd gone out the night before to dinner and a movie, and had come back to his place for "dessert". She teased him by whipping out the German condom-spray, which now lay forgotten near the door. Inching closer to her, he placed an arm over her sleeping form and unconciously she snuggled closer to him, and that was all he needed to drift back off into dreamland.

"HELLO? DANIEL! Where the hell are you?" the sound of his Christian name jolted Danny awake, and Lindsay started up at his sudden movement. He looked at the clock – 10:07. All of a sudden, the door to the bedroom swung open, and a young woman stood there in the doorframe.

"OH MY GOD!" she yelled, as Danny yelled "Damnit! Liv, what the hell you doin?" Lindsay instinctively pulled the covers up over her (bare) top half. The girl covered her eyes with her hands, and sputtered,

"Dan! It's Wednesday. I brought bagels, you were supposed to help me with my government project? Oh god. This is terrible. I cannot believe I just walked in on my older brother -" then her eyes caught sight of the Condom spray "OH MAN that is kinky this is awful I want to die!"

Understanding began to dawn on Lindsay's face, and she blushed red as she realized that this was Olivia Messer, Danny's 20 year old little sister. Danny quickly recovered from the shock, stood up and threw on one of his white shirts. "Oh man Livvy I'm sorry. I completely forgot. Um, Liv, this is Lindsay Monroe, we – " he was about to say work together, but at the mention of his bedfellow's name, Livvy instantly dropped the hand from her eyes and smiled brightly.

"Montana! Of course. I've heard so many wonderful things about you. Danny _never_ shuts up about you! It's so great that you guys, finally, um, got together" She cast a look down at the condom spray, then at Lindsay, who had again just blushed a nice crimson, but managed to smile and reply in kind. Danny shot his baby sister a menacing look, then spoke.

"Thanks for that, Liv. Why don't you go get those bagels ready and we'll join you for breakfast in just a second?" Livvy turned and pranced back to the kitchen with a satisfied look on her face – she knew all about Danny's relationship and feelings for Lindsay – Olivia was probably the only person Danny could open up to about Lindsay, probably because Olivia wouldn't stop pestering him until he spilled. Being that they were 12 years apart, and their parents didn't provide the most stable home for growing up in, Olivia completely idolized Danny, and of course he was an extremely protective older brother.

Meanwhile, back inside the bedroom, Danny flopped back onto the bed with a groan.

"What's wrong, Cowboy?" Lindsay asked playfully, rubbing her hand up and down his chest. "Don't want me to meet the family?" she teased.

"I love my little sister, but this is definitely _not_ how I imagined our morning off to be Montana," he replied, kissing her soft and deep. She sighed into his kiss, then detached herself and got up from the bed.

"C'mon Cowboy. I have a feeling that little lady is just brimming with stories about her big brother, and I have a feeling I'm really going to enjoy them," she stated, throwing some sweats in his direction. "Plus , I'm starving." Danny groaned, got up.

"I'm starvin' too, Montana, but not for bagels…." He came up behind her and wrapped his muscular arms around her small frame.

"Daniel Messer! You're trying to seduce me while your impressionable baby sister is in the apartment? Shame on you, mister." She turned around, flashed him a grin, and walked out of the bedroom. Danny groaned inwardly as he put the sweats on. The only two women who knew just how to get to him – together. He just couldn't wait.


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS OR ANYTHING, REALLY. PLEASE REVIEW! 

Chapter Two

"Good thing Sal threw an extra bagel into the bag," Olivia remarked as she smeared her own with cream cheese.

"You flirtin with him again?" Danny asked, and Olivia flashed him a cheeky grin.

"Maybe." Danny sighed. "You're killing me, kid."

Lindsay watched this interaction with a smile playing oh her lips – having his little sister here brought out a different side of Danny, and she liked it.

"So, Lindsay. How did you manage to tame my insatiable older brother?" Olivia asked, to which Danny blushed and silently cursed his sister, and the bluntness she possessed.

"Oh, I don't know Olivia – just my country girl charm, I guess," Lindsay replied, giggling. She loved when Danny blushed – and how much he hated it.

"Yeah yeah yeah, tell you what. You girls chat and I'm gonna go shower so I don't have to sit here and listen to you make fun of me," Danny stood, instinctively gave Lindsay a kiss on the forehead, (an action that did not go by unnoticed by Olivia, who raised her eyebrows) and left for the bathroom.

"Whew," Olivia giggled. "Now we can really talk!" Lindsay smiled.

"You guys are so close – my brothers and I aren't close at all," Lindsay told the girl wistfully.

"Oh," Olivia replied, and Lindsay noticed a little caution in her voice. "Has Danny really talked about his family at all?" she asked, and Lindsay shook her head.

"No, I mean, I know about Louie – and he told me about you, of course, but other than that he hasn't really mentioned much."

"Oh. Well, yeah, it's nothing that exciting," Olivia looked down. "Anyway! Seriously, how did you do it?" she perked up again, her voice upbeat.

"Do what?" Lindsay asked, confused.

"Change Danny, of course! Before you, I'm pretty sure the girls he was with didn't have names – or if they did, he didn't know them. But then you come along, and I've been hearing about 'Montana' for what – years now?" the blush that crept up Lindsay's face and the frown that accompanied it again did not go unnoticed by Olivia.

"Wait," Olivia, having a CSI as an older brother, was a pretty adept reader of people. "You know he loves you, right?" Lindsay let out an extremely nervous laugh, and Olivia frowned.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm really blunt all the time, but has he seriously not told you that? He's such an idiot!" The two sat in silence for a minute, before Lindsay bit her lip and couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"Does he really?" she asked in a small voice. She needed to know. Ever since she saw him enter that courtroom in Montana, she'd been pretty sure she was in love with him, but wouldn't bring herself to let him know that.

"What, love you? Well, I mean, he waited for you for forever, he flew to Montana for you – " at the surprised look on Lindsay's face, Olivia smiled. "Listen, Danny doesn't really have anyone else to talk to about this stuff, plus I can tell when something's bothering him. He talks about you constantly, when I was here a couple days ago after he was like kidnapped by those crazy Irish gangsters he told me how scared he was he'd never see you again – yeah, I mean, I don't really know what love is, but I think that's pretty close to being it, don't you?" Olivia knew her words were affecting Lindsay, so she continued softly. "But Lindsay, even if he may feel it, it's gonna be really hard for him to say it. Danny is Danny – he doesn't let people in, he doesn't trust easily. But don't think it's a lost cause, because it's not. It just might be a…. long cause." She finished speaking and took a bite of her bagel, just as Danny walked back into the room, freshly showered and dressed.

"Do I even wanna know what you two were talking about in here?" He asked, glancing at his sister with a look that told her he knew all too well what they'd been talking about. Olivia glanced back innocently,

"Why Daniel, are you implying something?" she asked, wide-eyed. "You know all us girls talk about is make-up and celebrity gossip, anyway," she said sweetly. Danny grunted, knowing that last remark was a jab at his former "girlfriend", Maggi, who Olivia had blatantly disliked. To be honest, Danny hadn't really liked her either, but this was way back when Lindsay had just come to New York, and he wasn't quite sure of his feelings for her yet. He was confused, or at least that was his current rationalization.

"Of course, I mean, I have caught Montana here in the break room with a People magazine more than once…." With that, Lindsay smacked him in the arm.

"Coming from the man who thinks no one knows about the Maxims under his bed!"

"Hey! When did you see those?!" Danny asked, blushing again. Olivia smiled smugly to herself – Lindsay was the only woman (other than herself, of course), who could truly rattle Danny.

"When you invited the team over for pizza and beer a couple months ago after that rough McCullers case," Lindsay admitted guiltily, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Were you snooping around in my room, Monroe?" Danny asked, amused. Lindsay put her hands up innocently,

"Hey, I'm a CSI! It's my nature."

"Yeah well, have you checked recently? Because I got rid of those a couple weeks ago…"

"Oh really?" Lindsay asked, smiling widely now.

"Yeah – I didn't really need them anymore. I got the real thing," Danny loved flirting with Lindsay. It never got old. The butterflies – and it would be a cold day in hell before Danny would admit to anyone that he had butterflies at the very sight of one Detective Monroe – never disappeared.

"Oh did you?" Lindsay asked, right before Danny's lips came in contact with her own.

From the other side of the table, Olivia thought she was about to throw up. "MMMhmmm!" she cleared her throat loudly and the couple broke apart, and looked at her embarrassed.

"Excuse me, I don't think I really needed to see my brother slipping his girlfriend the tongue…I think I'm gonna leave you two in peace. Danny if I e-mail you my paper, will you make sure to read it and help me with my thesis?"

"Definitely," he replied, and he waved goodbye, watched his baby sister walk out of his apartment, and then turned his attention – and his lips – back to Lindsay.


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing! Authors Note: Thank you guys so much for the kind reviews! This chapter was hard to write, so I'm not sure how much I like it, so I hope you guys do! 

"Danny?" Lindsay pulled her head off Danny's chest and looked up at him. They were back in bed – what better way to spend a day off?

"Yeah, Montana?" He replied, landing a soft kiss on her forehead. She smiled – she loved it when he did that. It was so sweet, and protective. And _true_, something guys don't do if they don't care about the girl they're with.

"Tell me about your family." She felt Danny tense, and he was silent for a few seconds.

"Not much to say," was his reply, and Lindsay took his chin in her hand and made him look at her.

"Danny," she said, locking her brown eyes with his blue ones , "Please. I know it's hard to let people in – hell, you had to fly across the country for me to let you know about my past, but" she swallowed hard, "I really care about you Danny, and I want to know about your family." She willed him to read the compassion and love in her eyes. He did, and he had to look away. It was too much. He stared straight ahead, and took a deep breath.

"My dad, he wasn't around much. He was also engaged in some, uh, illeagal affairs. My ma was alone to raise me and Louie. The stress really got to her. She began drinking, a lot. So dad was gone, and mom was an alcoholic." Danny was speaking slowly, deliberatly, and Lindsay was hanging on his every word. She grabbed his hand and held it tight. She wanted him to know she was with him.

"Then, when I was 12, mom got pregnant. It wasn't my dad's baby. I don't know who Olivia's birth father is. For nine months, it was great because ma wasn't drinking – at least she did that right. But then, as soon as Olivia was born, she went straight back to the bottle." Danny paused and took a raggedy breath.

"Louie was 15, in high school already, getting into trouble, never home. So that pretty much left me to take care of Livvy. I fed her, I changed her, and I woke up in the middle of the night when she cried." When he stopped here, Lindsay interjected,

"Oh danny. That must have been so hard for you, " she said, her voice soothing to his ears.

"Someone had to do it. And I could never figure out why ma didn't care. Her own baby daughter, and she never even cared. I don't know how Livvy grew up in that household. Dad knew she wasn't his, and avoided all contact with her."

"Danny, you are such a good man," by this point Lindsay had gone teary-eyed. "Olivia is so lucky to have you in her life. So am I," she added softly. Danny heard this last part, and returned his gaze to her eyes.

"Listen, Montana. Don't feel sorry for me. It's in the past now, what's done is done," he said, his jaw set. Lindsay knew how hard it was for him to appear this vulnerable in front of her.

"I don't feel sorry for you, Danny," she said. "I just think you're one of the bravest and most compassionate men in the whole entire world, and I'm very glad I have you to cuddle with" she added, trying to ease the tension in Danny.

"Cuddle?" He replied, incredulous. "Montana, I do _not_ cuddle," he spoke with mock indignation.

"Oh really Messer? So what are we doing right now?" she teased, and he looked down at her on his chest, their legs intertwined.

"We are just….laying down….together." Danny stated, and then without warning flipped Lindsay, bent over her, and gave her a kiss.

"Well then." Lindsay smiled as she spoke, her lips a mere inch from his. "I like…laying down….together...with you," with that she gave him a quick kiss, then wiggled out from under him.

"Hey hey hey, where ya goin Monroe?"

"Danny – it's three in the afternoon. Get dressed. We're going out, okay? I have to shower, and no, Danny, do not even think about joining me" she said, correctly interpreting the look on his face, to which he chuckled – "I want to go to FAO Shwartz and get my niece a birthday present, and then to the farmer's market to buy food for dinner. I'm cooking for ya, Messer, so get ready."

With that, she marched into the bathroom, and purposely locked the door. Danny smiled to himself. What a woman. He breathed a deep sigh of relief and pain as he thought about how much he had opened up to her. It was the first time he'd told anyone about his past – but somehow he knew the secret was safe with her. More than anything, she made him feel _safe_. And loved, he thought to himself. But does she love me? Or do I just want her to love me because I love her?

Danny sat down on the bed, rubbing his eyes. Back when he was a major playboy, he never had to deal with this sort of thing – this uncertainty and confusion. But I wouldn't trade Lindsay for all the eligible bachelorettes in New York, he thought to himself, thinking of the soapy woman in the shower. I wouldn't trade Lindsay for anything.


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING. PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW SO I KNOW HOW I'M DOING!! 

"Thank God," Danny muttered as he exited the doors of FAO Schwartz, practically dragging Lindsay out behind him.

"What's that Cowboy?" She asked, grinning. After an hour of searching, she had finally located the perfect doll for her four-year old niece, but Danny had some troubles adjusting to the screams of children and electronic toys, and had been antsy the whole time.

"Fresh air!" He breathed dramatically, and Lindsay playfully swatted him on the arm. "Hey Montana, you keep doing that and maybe I won't stand so close to ya anymore," he said, raising his eyebrows at her.

"Is that a threat or a promise, Messer?" she replied cheekily, but pulled him closer to her all the same, intertwining her fingers with his. "Alright. I actually want to make one more stop before the market – I want to go feed the ducks at Central Park."

"You know, Monroe, it hardly seems fair that you get to call all the shots _and_ expect me to wait for dinner," he stated, and then almost fainted when she leaned up and whispered huskily in his ear,

"Don't worry. I'll make it up to you afterwards." When she saw the effect her words had on him, she bit back a smile. She loved knowing that she could make him as crazy as he made her.

"That's a very tempting offer, Montana," Danny said. "And now, on to the Park."

With that, the two walked hand in hand to Central Park, where Lindsay excitedly pulled a loaf of bread out of her purse and began to feed the ducks. Danny had to chuckle when he saw how excited Lindsay was – she looked so cute, trying to tempt the ducks closer with her pieces of bread. He also had to laugh when he realized how _couple-y_ he and Lindsay were, holding hands in Central Park feeding the ducks. And then he stopped laughing when he realized how right it felt.

He was such an idiot. Of course it feels right, Messer, Danny thought to himself. You're in love with her. And tonight, you're going to tell her exactly that. Oh my god, how am I supposed to tell her? I have to tell her, but I have no idea how to even go about saying that – it's not like I've ever said it to a woman before…

While Danny was silently freaking out, Lindsay was studying him with a smile. He was absent-mindedly shredding a piece of bread, and she knew he was thinking about something. Eventually, he noticed her staring, and turned to look at her, flashing her his cute little cocky grin, making Lindsay blush.

How can he still do that to me? She thought to herself. I love that grin of his. Actually, I just love him. Why is that so hard for me to admit? I should just tell him already.

With her earlier conversation with Olivia running through her mind, Lindsay sighed deeply, and then her thoughts were interrupted by Danny's voice.

"Hey, I don't know bout you, but my stomach says it's getting close to dinner time,"

"Oh yeah, let's go," Lindsay loved the way their hands fit together. His were so much bigger than hers, and yet somehow they fit together perfectly.

After a quick stop by the market – Lindsay knew exactly what she wanted – they headed back to Danny's apartment, where Lindsay quickly got busy cooking and Danny turned on the Yankees game.

"Mr. Messer," a voice called out from the kitchen, "Dinner is served." Danny stood up and caught a whiff of whatever she had made him, and damn it smelled good.

"So Ms. Monroe, what're we eatin?" He asked as he sat down and uncorked a bottle of wine.

"Chicken parm, salad, and garlic bread. And I thought you didn't drink wine?" She said as she placed his plate in front of him.

"I'm willing to give the grape another chance," he said, taking a bite. "Oh my god, Lindsay. This is the food they serve in Heaven!" Danny exclaimed, making Lindsay smile broadly.

"Well I'm glad you like it, Danny," she said, watching him scarf down the meal.

"Ya know, I could really get used to this, Montana," Danny said as he took the last bite. "Having you around, cooking me delicious meals,"

"Oh really? Well, that might be possible to arrange," she teased him, grabbing his plate and her own and putting them in the sink. "But it's gonna come at a cost," Lindsay reached into her purse and pulled out a movie.

"Um, Montana, " Danny said, "That looks an awful lot like a chick flick to me….."

Two hours later, Danny and Lindsay were snuggled together on the couch, watching the very end of The Notebook, and Lindsay was sobbing.

"Its – just-so-sad" she stuttered out, as a bewildered Danny rubbed her back. "She can't remember! But they l-l-love each other!"

"So you can tackle hardened criminals and dead bodies on a regular basis, but all it takes is one movie to reduce you to hysterics?" Danny asked her teasingly, pulling her onto his lap. She turned to face him, her eyes red and puffy.

"It's sad!" she cried again, but her sobs began to abate, and eventually she more or less regained her composure. "God, I'm a mess," she stated.

"A very cute mess," Danny agreed. Lindsay got up to go to the bathroom, and when she came back a couple minutes later, Danny's breath hitched in his throat. She was wearing a pair of his sweats, and one of his white tee shirts, and she looked beautiful.

"God I love you," he breathed out. Lindsay stopped walking.

"What?" she asked, her voice trembling. Danny's eyes opened wide. Did he just say that out loud?!


	5. Chapter 5

disclaimer: i own nothing! reviews make me happy! 

They were frozen – Lindsay had stopped in mid-step when she heard Danny say those three little words, those three little words she had dreamed about him saying, and now it was actually happening. Danny was on the couch, unable to move when he realized she had heard him. After a few seconds, he swallowed hard.

"Uh" he started, thinking what the hell? You've already put it out there, might as well follow through. "Lindsay, come here." She walked towards him, the expression on her face unreadable. "I'm not very good at this kind of thing, and I'm not very romantic and I'm too stubborn and hot-headed, and I know I don't deserve ya, but damn Montana, I love you." He looked up at her hopefully, and she began to speak.

"First of all," Lindsay began in a scolding tone, "that was _very_ romantic. Second of all, don't ever say you don't deserve me again, or I'll kill you. And you know I can make it look like suicide," she said, stopping.

"Is there a third of all?" Danny asked, very much hoping there was.

"Third of all," Lindsay said softly, looking down into her hands, "I love you too." She was smiling, but not looking at him. Danny took her chin and raised her eyes to meet his.

"Well I'm glad that's settled," he said, pulling her in for a kiss. It was the best kiss they'd ever shared, and honestly, the best kiss either one of them had ever had.

"Me too," Lindsay said when they finally pulled apart. "I've been trying not to say it for awhile now. And when you got taken and were hurt, it felt like my heart had stopped," she admitted, getting teary-eyed, and thought Danny would never admit it, he was a little teary-eyed himself.

"Remember the Holly case?" he asked, and Lindsay nodded, "I have never run so fast and been so scared in my entire life as I was when I heard you'd been made." With that, Lindsay leaned down and kissed him hard on the mouth.

"Didn't you promise me a little somethin-somethin, Montana?" Danny asked between kisses.

"Mmmm," Lindsay loved it when he kissed the soft spot right behind her ear. "I think I may have." With that, Danny swept Lindsay off her feet and carried her into the bedroom.

"You know what I like best about you, Messer?" Lindsay asked, breathless after his little surprise wake-up call.

"My winning smile? My ass that doesn't quit? My status as a sex God?" Danny asked, equally as breathless.

"No, how humble you are," Lindsay replied, smirking. "No, Danny, what I like best about you is how safe you make me feel. And now that I've just said it, that was the corniest thing I have ever said in my entire life and you should forget it."

"Well it was a little corny, Monroe, but I don't think I can forget it. I can probably match it, though." Danny turned on his side to face her. "You know what I like best about you? How calm you make me feel. Even?"

Lindsay smiled. "Even. So what are we going to do at work?"

"Uh, solve crimes?"

"No," Lindsay rolled her eyes. "I meant like, what are we going to tell people? Are we even going to tell people?"

"Oh. If it's alright with you, I'd kind of like to wait to tell people – just to avoid teasing and all that. What do you think?

"I think that sounds perfect."


	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER: i own nothing. 

Two weeks had passed since Danny and Lindsay had decided to keep their relationship a secret at work, and although Stella in particular had her suspicions, no one had confronted them about it. They were just finishing up a particularly grueling case about the murder of a single mother.

"So what, you thought it was okay to kill her because she couldn't pay the rent?" Danny spat at the murderer, the woman's landlord.

"She hadn't paid in three months! And her kid is always screaming – she never shuts the hell up!" the landlord yelled, and Danny walked out of the interview room after signaling to the officer to arrest the man.

"Got him?" Lindsay asked, catching up with Danny in the hall.

"Yeah," he breathed. "I need to get out of here. You off yet?" he asked, and she nodded. "Good. I need some pizza, some beer, and some Montana."

Danny and Lindsay were done with the pizza and beer, and were cuddling in front of a Knicks game on T.V. when the buzzer rang.

"It's me. Let me in," Olivia's voice, strained, and Danny immediately buzzed her up. She burst in a minute later, looking angry.

"Ugh!" she said, completely bypassing Danny and instead flopping down on the couch next to Lindsay. "I _hate_ men. They just suck!"

"Livvy – what the hell? Did someone hurt you? Tell me who, I'll kick his ass!" Danny said, his protective nature emerging.

"No, you idiot. No one hurt me. No one did anything. That's the problem!" Olivia sighed, looking to Lindsay for some womanly support.

"Danny," Lindsay said. "I know that you always like the chance to kick some ass, but I think you should let me handle this one. Girl stuff." She shot Danny a glance that very clearly said, _"or else"_.

"So Mike and I have been flirting for literally the past year. We've been taking a lot of the same classes and we live in the same dorm. We see each other all the time! And we do serious flirting! I'm talking _flirting_ flirting, not just the way I flirt with Sal – "

"Wait," Danny interrupted. "What the hell is the difference between "_flirting_ flirting and flirting?" Olivia rolled her eyes at her brother.

"Flirting is the way I flirt with Adam, or Flack when I want something. _Flirting_ flirting is the way I flirt with you when I want something," Lindsay explained, smiling.

"Okay, so it's been going on for like a year, so today finally he asks me what I'm up to after class. So I tell him nothing, that I'm free as a bird. Of course I'm expecting him to ask me out, but no! All he says is, wow, enjoy your free time!" Olivia ended her tirade with her voice an octave higher than when she had started. "I just – I know he likes me, I can tell, and I'm pretty sure I've been giving off very obvious signals that I like him too, and he still won't do anything about it!"

"Well he's an idiot!" Danny said, but silenced himself when he caught Lindsay's glare.

"Look, Livvy. Men are stupid. They do not understand subtlety at all; you have to explicitly spell things out for them. So if you really like this kid, and you know he feels the same way, you're going to need to just tell him, straight out, otherwise you'll stay frustrated and angry," Lindsay said, and Olivia nodded.

"Alright. But what if he doesn't actually like me, what if I just want him to so I think he does?"

"You say he's been _flirting_ flirting with you? I think it's a safe bet to assume he wouldn't turn down a chance to go to dinner with you," Lindsay said, giving Olivia a smile. Sensing the girl talk was done, Danny turned to Lindsay.

"So men are stupid, Monroe? I'd like to have you know that I am great at picking up subtlety!" Lindsay looked at him exasperated.

"Oh, really, Daniel? You're great at picking up on things? Well then how come for the past two weeks when I've been dropping clues about us moving in together, you still haven't figured it out?" she retaliated, while Olivia watched, trying to contain her laughter.

"Yeah – wait, what?" Danny asked, confused.

"Yeah, Danny. Remember all those times I said, "oh, it's such a hassle having to tote my clothes back and forth", or "I wish my shampoo was over here so I didn't have to use yours", or "gosh, why are we paying rent on two apartments when we're only ever in one?!"

"That's what that was about?" Danny asked incredulously, while Lindsay and Olivia both rolled their eyes.

"What else would it be about?" Lindsay asked, incredulous herself.

"Well alright, let's move in together," Danny said, and with that, Lindsay rolled her eyes once more and walked into the bedroom.

"What'd I do?" he called after, and then turned to Olivia for an explanation.

"Danny, seriously? When you ask a girl to move in with you, it's a big deal. You do it nicely, romantically. So go try again, and try not to mess it up. I like having Lindsay around. I'll see you later." Olivia patted Danny on the back as walked out of the apartment, and Danny stood up and headed towards the bedroom.

Lindsay was sprawled on the bed, leafing through a Cosmopolitan.

"Linds?" Danny said, and she turned to face him, her eyebrows raised.

"Yes?" she responded, curtly.

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't get your hints. But don't think that I don't want to move in with you. Because, honestly, I hate it when you're not next to me in bed. I hate it when I wake up and I can't hear you taking a shower, or cooking breakfast, or watching Good Morning America. Truth is, this place doesn't feel like home unless you're in it. So, Lindsay Monroe, I'm askin you to move in here with me. And I'm really hopin you're gonna say yes."

Lindsay saw the seriousness in Danny's eyes, and she sat up on the bed, trying not to smile.

"We're going to need to go shopping. I hate the color of your towels. I want to get some yellow ones. And my purple chair is going to find a place in the living room."

"So is that a yes, Montana?' Danny asked, pulling her to him.

"That's a yes, Messer," Lindsay said.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm really glad that it seems like you guys are enjoying the story thus far. I've planned about five more chapters, but PLEASE keep the reviews coming so I know how I'm doing! You guys are great! 


	7. Chapter 7

DISCLAIMER: obviously i own nothing pertaining to these characters or csi:ny

AUTHORS NOTE: i'm not sure yet how long this story will be - it could go on a lot longer, so please please please review and i'll continue!

"Damn, Montana! What did you pack in these boxes – rocks? Weights?" Danny grunted as he carried the last of Lindsay's boxes into his apartment, while she followed with a couple of pillows and a lamp.

"They're my books, Danny. And you're the one who refused to hire a moving company because you could do it yourself!" Lindsay reminded him.

"Yeah yeah yeah," Danny said, while Lindsay laughed at him.

It had taken them about a month to find the time to pack up Lindsay's things and haul them to Danny's. There had been a debate about the pool table – it took up a lot of room, but the sentimental value eventually won out and it remained in place. At the moment, it was completely covered in boxes, still waiting to be unpacked.

They spent the day unpacking, and it was about five o'clock when the collapsed, worn out, on the couch Lindsay had convinced Danny was better than his old one.

"Chinese?" Lindsay asked, leafing through take-out menus, and Danny nodded his approval. Lindsay was up, grabbing the phone when the buzzer rang.

"Expecting company, Messer?"

"Nope," Danny said as he got up. "Hello?"

"Hey Danno. Let me up. We brought Stella too – turns out she's a Yankees fan too. Who woulda though?" Flack's voice floated up through the intercom and Danny turned to Lindsay with a shocked look on his face.

"Oh my god! It's Flack and Hawkes. And Stella! Damn, tonight is the Yankees/Sox game. I invited them over like two weeks ago without even thinking about it!" Danny started to panic, looking back and forth from the intercom to Lindsay, who was biting her lip.

"Well, buzz him in already!" She said, and Danny did as he was told. "Listen, Danny. Maybe it's time to just spill the beans already," Lindsay said, shrugging.

"Is that what you want?" he asked, and she nodded.

"I mean, it was fun to keep it a secret but now that we're living together, we might as well come clean," she rationalized, and Danny took a deep breath.

"We're gonna get so much shit for this," he commented, and Lindsay grinned.

"Yeah. Can you handle it, Messer?" she teased, and was about to move forward to give him a kiss when the door flew open.

"Hey I hope you ordered food because I just got beer, man," Flack said, entering the room with Hawkes and Stella behind him. "Lindsay?" Flack stopped. "What are you doing here?" Flack looked extremely confused. Stella, on the other hand, had taken a quick glance around. She saw empty boxes, Lindsay's couch, both Danny and Lindsay looking extremely sheepish, and she let out a loud gasp.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed. "I KNEW it!" Hawkes, being observant, starting laughing when he realized what was going on, but Flack still looked as confused as ever.

"What?" he asked, and Lindsay stepped forward and patted him on the back.

"I'm shacking up with your best friend, Don," Lindsay said, and understanding finally seemed to come to Flack's face.

"What? You two – together?" he asked, incredulous, and Lindsay laughed.

"Yeah," Danny answered, grinning.

"Wh- How long?" Flack sputtered.

"Since I came back from Montana," Lindsay replied, and Flack's eyes bugged out.

"THAT long? Stella, how long have you suspected? And why didn't you tell me you suspected?" Flack turned to face Stella, but she was on the phone.

"Hi Mac. Yeah, just wanted to let you know you owe me fifty. Yeah – Danny and Lindsay. I know. Yeah. They've actually moved in together. I know," Stella laughed and closed her phone. Seeing the looks on everyone's faces, she shrugged.

"What? Please. Mac and I have been betting on them for the past two years," she said. "But, we are both very happy for you. And since it obviously hasn't affected your work, so we're even more happy for you."

"Well, thanks Stell," Danny replied, putting his arm around Lindsay.

"Bye!" Lindsay called down the hall after her coworkers as they left the apartment. "See you tomorrow." She turned back inside the apartment – _her_ apartment now, and smiled. Once everyone got over the initial shock of seeing her and Danny together, they had had a fun evening, and even though Flack made a lot of jokes, Lindsay thoroughly enjoyed herself. It just felt right.

"Penny for your thoughts, Montana." Danny said from the sink where he was washing dishes.

"Nothing," Lindsay said, walking up behind him. "Just thinking how lucky I am." She rested her chin on his shoulder. "Oh, and before I forget – Olivia called earlier today and she wants us to go out to lunch with her and her new boyfriend on Friday."

"New boyfriend?" Danny turned around. "Who is this clown?" Lindsay rolled her eyes.

"You know, as annoying as it is, it's also pretty cute when you get all protective," she commented, making Danny grin.

"Well, you know I gotta worry bout Liv because she's got that irresistible Messer charm. You certainly couldn't keep away from it," he teased.

"Nope," she agreed, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the kitchen.

"Well, I gotta admit, Montana, you got some nice country girl charm yourself there," he said, planting a kiss on her lips. She pulled away.

"Speaking of country girl charm," she began. "You think there's anyway I could charm you into spending Thanksgiving in Montana? My mom really wants me to come home this year because I didn't last year, and I want you to meet my family," she looked up at Danny.

"Thanksgiving in Montana, eh?" he said. "You know, I think that's a great idea. I never got to see any of those famous Montana wheat fields when I was there earlier," Lindsay smiled.

"My mom's gonna be ecstatic," Lindsay promised. "She's been making noises about meeting you for ages. So has Daddy."

"Is Daddy gonna kill me for swooping you up?" Danny asked, grinning.

"Maybe," Lindsay teased. "I'll make sure Mom hides his shotgun."


	8. Chapter 8

"Now, Olivia called and told me to tell you she'd kill you if you embarrassed her in front of Mike. And as much as I know you love playing the tough cop older brother –" Lindsay grinned cheekily at Danny as they walked towards the diner. "For all of our sakes – just be nice, okay?" Danny grunted.

"Fine, fine. But if he's screwing around with my baby sister…."

"Honestly, Danny, don't you think Olivia has enough of those Messer smarts you always seem to be bragging about to find a decent guy?"

"Flattery as a bribe? Nice, Monroe. Ya know me well. I'll behave, I promise," Danny said, squeezing her hand as he saw his little sister sitting cozily at a booth next to (and he hated to admit it) a nice-looking kid.

"Danny! Lindsay!" Olivia said, smiling up at the pair. "This is Mike. Mike, this is my brother Danny and his significant other, Lindsay." Everyone shook hands, and Olivia and Lindsay began to chatter about Desperate Housewives or something of that nature, so Danny turned to Mike.

"So Mike, tell me about yourself," he said pleasantly, although Lindsay still shot him a warning glance.

"Um, well, I'm originally from California, I'm a junior at NYU, and my intentions are very honorable, don't worry," he said, smiling a little. Danny couldn't help but chuckle – obviously Olivia had warned him in advance.

"Well alright then," Danny replied.

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"I'll be right back," Olivia said, climbing out of the booth and heading towards the bathroom.

"I'm going to join her," Lindsay said, following Olivia.

"So, how are things going with Mike?" Lindsay asked as the girls stood in front of the mirror.

"Really well, actually. He's cute, isn't he?" Olivia giggled, and Lindsay nodded in agreement, laughing too. "How are things with you and Danny? Now that you guys are living together?" Olivia asked. Lindsay smiled.

"Things are really good. Really really good. Almost perfect," Lindsay said, blushing. Olivia turned to face her.

"you know – I always thought I'd be a little bit jealous of you. Before we met, back when Danny was still pining after you from afar," Olivia said, smiling. "I mean, he talked about you constantly, and I'd never really had to share him with anyone, you know? But seeing you guys together… I don't know. I'm not jealous at all, I'm just so happy that my big brother found someone he loves, and who loves him back. Because he deserves that, you know?"

"I know," Lindsay replied. "I'm pretty happy I found him, too."

"You guys are the real deal, you know that?" Olivia said, smiling. "He'll kill me if he knew I told you this, but we were at the Christening for our cousin's baby, and I was bemoaning the fact she chose our other cousin as Godmother, and Danny just turns to me and says, 'don't worry, when Lindsay and I have kids, Godmother is yours.'"

Olivia smiled as Lindsay blushed bright red. They hadn't even talked about having kids yet – but of course, that isn't to say that Lindsay hadn't imagined a little girl with piercing blue eyes and dirty blonde hair sitting in Danny's lap as he read her a story. The truth was she wanted to have babies with Danny Messer. She wanted to marry him and have babies. And that fact that he was thinking along those same lines made her heart race.

"They probably think we fell in," Olivia said, breaking Lindsay's thoughts, and the two returned to their men.

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"Thanks for not going all macho big brother," Olivia whispered to Danny as they left the restaurant.

"You're welcome. Mike – he's alright," Danny replied, and Olivia smiled.

"Thanks, Dan. Oh and by the way? Have fun next week meeting Lindsay's family. Now it's your turn to be interrogated by older big brothers who are incredibly protective of their baby sisters," Olivia said, smirking, and Lindsay laughed.

"You know, she's right cowboy. I have two older brothers and they are going to love torturing you," Lindsay said. "The tables have turned, Messer – and you don't look too happy about it." She smiled at the pained expression on his face. "Don't worry, Danny. They're nice guys. Jake is seven years older than I am, and Matt is four years older. They just want to make sure their baby sister is being treated right. Sound familiar?"

"Yeah yeah yeah. I'm not worried – I'm extremely likeable. Some might even say loveable," he flashed her his trademark grin, the one that still made her bit her lip and have to steady herself on wobbly knees.

"Oh really?" She taunted him. "And who might those people be? I don't see any around here."

"That hurts, Montana," Danny said, faking a pout. "You tellin' me you don't find me loveable? Because if so, you were singing a different tune last night…" He pulled her close and kissed her on the forehead.

"Alright, you called my bluff. You're very loveable!" Lindsay conceded, and Danny whirled her around to face him on the crowded street.

"How bout I show you how loveable I am?" he said gruffly, and Lindsay bit her lip again.

"Our lunch break is over in twenty minutes, Danny, and we still need to get back," she argued rationally, and Danny groaned. Lindsay turned away from him and they started to walk when all of a sudden she turned around, stood on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear,

"Meet me in the janitor's closet at three."


	9. Chapter 9

"Getting nervous, Cowboy?" Lindsay asked, keeping her eyes on the road. They'd just landed in Montana, and Lindsay's parents lived about an hour from the airport. They had rented a car, and Lindsay had insisted on driving.

"Nervous? Me? Nah," Danny replied confidently. "I've got this in the bag. But, uh – how bout you run through the family again for me?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant. Lindsay saw right through him and laughed.

"Okay. Mom is Kate. Dad is Gabe, but you might want to start out with a Mr. Monroe, to get on his good side. My oldest brother is Jake, and he is married to Julia. They have three kids – Lizzy's 6, Sam's 4 and Gracie is 2. My older brother is Matt, he's married to my good friend Sukey, and they have Jack, who is 3, and Eli, who is only 6 months. I can't wait to see him!" She exclaimed, while Danny felt his head reeling. So many names – so many kids! He'd never had much experience with kids, other than Olivia of course. He looked over at Lindsay and saw how excited she was, and he couldn't help but smile.

The rest of the car trip passed, Lindsay excitedly pointing out different things to Danny, who of course was wondering where all the buildings were, but he was happy to see Lindsay so happy.

Finally, they turned onto a dirt driveway and Danny could see a blue house with twinkling Christmas lights.

"We're here!" Lindsay announced cheerfully, and Danny began to crack his knuckles, a nervous habit. He followed Lindsay out of the car, ignoring their bags for now, and into the brightly lit house.

"Hello?" Lindsay called as she opened the front door. Danny could hear laughter coming from the back of the house.

"Lindsay?! Is that you?" a voice yelled out. "We're in the kitchen, baby," Lindsay grabbed Danny's hand and pulled him through the house. They walked through the pantry and then appeared at the doorway to the kitchen. Sitting at the table were three women – Lindsay's mother, who despite some wisps of grey in her hair still looked young. And two younger women, who Danny assumed to be Lindsay's sister-in-laws, one holding a baby boy.

"Linds!" Her mother cried, standing and hugging her daughter. She then turned to Danny with a twinkle in his eye. "And you must be Danny. I'm Kate, it's so nice to finally meet you," and she hugged Danny warmly too, who was a little surprised. His family was never big into shows of affection.

"It's nice to finally meet you too, Mrs. Monroe," he replied.

"Oh no – It's Kate," The older woman said, smiling. "Come meet the rest of the womenfolk!" By this time, Lindsay had made a beeline over towards her nephew, and Danny's breath caught as he saw Lindsay rocking back and forth with the drowsy infant in her arms. She looked beautiful, and it just _fit_.

"Danny, this is Julia, and this is Sukey," Kate introduced, breaking his thoughts, and both women smiled at him warmly.

"And this is Eli," Lindsay said, walking towards Danny. "Isn't he adorable?" Danny nodded in agreement.

"Don't let him fool you," Sukey warned. "He can scream like a banshee when he wants to."

"Just like his Aunt Lindsay," Kate remarked, returning to the table with a bottle of wine. "Lindsay used to keep all of us up all night when she was a baby. Her brothers even moved out to the barn when it got warm enough. She's always been one to tell us what's on her mind," Kate told Danny, and Danny grinned.

"I've noticed."

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Danny and Lindsay joined the table, and after about an hour, they heard cars pulling up the house.

"Must be the men and kids," Julia remarked. "The guys took the kids to the Hay Maze up the highway a bit." Sure enough, a minute later, the back door burst open.

"Linds!" Lindsay's father entered the kitchen first, and warmly hugged his only daughter.

"Hi Daddy," Lindsay grinned. "I'd like you to meet Danny Messer," she said, and Danny stood up and shook Gabe's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, sir," Danny said, and the older man smiled back.

"You too, Danny. Please, call me Gabe. And this here is Jake, and that's Matt," he said, pointing to Lindsay's two brothers, who waved. Danny looked over to Lindsay, and saw her sitting on the floor in the midst of all her nieces and nephews. He walked over, and crouched down.

"and you guys want to meet my friend Danny?" She asked the kids. "Danny, this is Lizzy, Gracie – that's Sam, and this is Jack," she said, referring to the little boy in her lap. "You guys, Danny's a police officer just like me. We work together in New York."

"Do you have a badge too?" Six-year-old Lizzy looked at Danny eagerly.

"As a matter of fact, I do," he said, pulling his badge out. The kids oohed and aahed over it for a while.

"Kids! Go wash up for dinner," yelled Kate, and Danny and Lindsay decided to go get their bags from the car. Danny would be staying in the boy's old room upstairs, while Lindsay was in her old room. After quickly unpacking and freshening up, Lindsay went to her brothers' room.

"So, what do you think?" she asked softly, sitting next to Danny on the bed.

"You know, Montana – is it too confusing if I call you that while we're actually _in_ Montana? I think it's great. Your family seems wonderful – although, to tell you the truth, I'm kind of dreading the "what are your intentions" talk. You never told me how big your brothers were!"

"Aren't you supposed to be a hardened New York street cop?" she teased, and Danny smiled.

"Hey, hell hath no fury like an older brother," he joked, and Lindsay smiled.

"Are you ready for dinner? Lizzy told me she wants to sit next to you."

"She's a cute kid," Danny said, thinking how much Lizzy reminded him of Olivia at that age. "So what's for dinner?" he asked, and Lindsay grinned in anticipation.

"Elk."


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: I don't own any of these characters or CSI: NY at all.

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Dinner had gone pretty well – Lindsay had stifled a laugh when Danny tried his first bite of elk, but he had been a champ and actually declared he liked it. Now the women were in the kitchen, washing dishes and chatting, while the men were in the living room watching football. All the men except for Danny, that is. He'd become an instant hit with the kids at dinner with his vast Disney movie knowledge – something Lindsay made a mental note to ask him about later. He was currently sitting on the floor in the playroom, with Gracie is his lap, playing cars with Jack and Sam. Lizzy had been playing with them too, but she had just darted out of the room without so much as a word.

Lizzy ran into the kitchen, and jumped up onto Lindsay's lap. Lindsay had put down her glass of wine just in time.

"Whoa, missy! You almost knocked me over!" Lindsay exclaimed, laughing. Lizzy looked up at her aunt seriously.

"Aunt Lindsay, are you going to marry Danny?" At Lizzy's question, the whole kitchen went quiet. Lindsay blushed, and when she looked up she saw her mother, her sisters-in-law, and her niece all looking at her expectantly.

"Why do you ask that, Liz?" Lindsay asked, still a little red.

"Well, because when my friend Amelia's aunt got married she got to be the flower girl and she got to wear a beautiful dress and shoes that go 'tap-tap'," Lizzy explained excitedly. "And I really want to do it too! Even Gracie could do it with me. We'd be so good!" The women in the kitchen laughed.

"Well you know what, Lizzy? When Danny and I get married, you and Gracie can be flower girls, I promise," Lindsay said, and Lizzy scampered off with a wide grin.

"Married, eh?" Kate said, washing dishes.

"Mom," Lindsay said warningly.

"Oh, Lindsay. Come on. We all know you're going to marry that man, it's just a matter of time!" Kate said with the air of definiteness all mothers possess. Lindsay chuckled, and then smiled in defeat.

"You know, Mom, I think you might just be right."

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"Hey Danny, guess what?!" Lizzy yelled as she raced back into the room.

"What's that?" Danny asked, as Lizzy jumped up and down with excitement.

"Aunt Lindsay says that when you guys get married, me and Gracie can be the flower girls!" she squealed. "Isn't that the best?" Danny laughed.

"Yeah, Lizzy, that's the best," he replied. _It really was the best_, he thought. _Did Lindsay really mean that? Does she really think about marrying me? _

His thoughts were interrupted as Sam rolled a Tonka truck over his head, and Sukey appeared in the doorway.

"Hey guys, it's time to go, okay? We'll come back tomorrow for the real Thanksgiving, but I need you guys to go get your shoes and stuff, okay?" she said, and the kids reluctantly followed her. Danny noticed that Gracie had fallen asleep in his lap, so he gently rose and carried her into the kitchen where the others were getting ready to leave.

"Don't forget this one," he joked, and handed Gracie over to Jake, but not before he noticed Lindsay looking at him, almost wistfully.

The families left, and it was just Danny, Lindsay, and her parents.

"Gabe," Kate said, "why don't you take Danny with you as you lock up the barn?" she suggested.

"Alright – Danny, put on your coat and we'll head out."

Danny did as he was told, and he and Gabe left the house. They walked towards the barn in silence for a while.

"Danny," Gabe began, "I'm sure you've been expecting this. The "lindsay is my baby girl and if you hurt her I'll kill you speech". Am I right?" Danny laughed.

"Actually yes, I have been," he replied. "Look, before you say anything, I just wanted to let you know that I love your daughter very much. And I respect her just as much. She's basically the best thing that has ever happened to me, and even though I've been known to be kind of an idiot at times, I don't think I could live with myself if I ever screwed it up with her." Danny delivered this speech quickly, due to nerves, but sincerely, and Gabe could tell.

"You know, Danny. I believe you. I haven't seen Lindsay this happy since she was a little girl. She's all lit up, and if you're the reason – well, then how can I argue with that? But not only is Lindsay my little girl, she's my only little girl. She's the baby, and to let her go is the hardest thing me or her Ma has ever had to do. One day you'll understand. When you realize you're no longer the only man your little girl truly loves," Gabe said, looking to Danny, who nodded.

"So, you take care of her, you hear?" Danny nodded again, and smiled.

"Of course." The two men locked up the barn, and then returned to the house, this time their conversation about baseball. When they entered, Lindsay looked up from the table quickly, biting her lip. She had known her parents would love Danny – eventually. She just wasn't sure how long it would take. Danny flashed her a reassuring smile, and then the couple bade Kate and Gabe a good night and headed upstairs. Once in the privacy of Lindsay's room, Danny grabbed Lindsay's hand.

"What're you so nervous for, Monroe? Thought your Daddy wouldn't like me?" he teased, and Lindsay smiled.

"So did he give you the "my baby girl" talk?" she asked, and Danny grinned.

"Yup. But we're all good. And damn, Montana – you never told me your father was a baseball trivia machine!"

"Do we really have to talk about my dad right now?" Lindsay said, straddling Danny on the bed and kissing him hard.

"Montana," Danny moaned as they finally broke apart. "We can't do this here – I mean, I can't, not with your parents…"

"Why Messer, I never figured you for a square," Lindsay said cheekily, pulling him in for another kiss.

"No seriously, Linds. I mean, I wanna – but, we can't!" Danny said when they finally broke apart for the second time.

"Oh you're no fun!" Lindsay pouted. "Alright cowboy. One more goodnight kiss?" she said, sticking her lower lip out.

"How could I resist?"


	11. Chapter 11

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing except my computer!

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"Oh, good morning Danny," Kate said, surprised to see her daughter's boyfriend coming down the stairs so early.

"Good morning," Danny replied, yawning. "Lindsay's still sleeping, but I just thought I'd come down and see if you needed any help with anything. My Nona always used to start Thanksgiving dinner at like seven in the morning."

"Well your Nona and I have that in common," Kate said, smiling. "Since you offered, wanna grab that peeler and start peeling those potatoes?"

"I'd love to," Danny replied, grabbing the bag of potatoes and the peeler. "Should I do it in the sink?"

"Yep, that's just fine," Kate, replied. "I'm just making pie crusts and doing some basting. This will give us a chance to chat!" Danny laughed nervously, but soon all anxiety was lost as Kate began telling stories of Lindsay as a little girl.

"She was always so full of energy - she wanted so badly to be included with her older brothers, but to them she was the baby, and she hated that. She doesn't take lightly to being told she can't do something," Kate said, and Danny chuckled.

"I know. It's actually very endearing," he agreed, causing Kate to smile.

"So, you and Lindsay have been together for awhile now," Kate stated, to which Danny nodded. "So when the hell are you going to make it official and give me some more grandchildren?" she asked, grinning.

"I uh, well, we -uh, we haven't - " Danny stuttered, and Kate laughed.

"Don't worry Danny. I'm just teasing. Although more grandchildren _would_ be nice. Look, Danny. It's obvious my little girl is crazy about you. It's equally as obvious that you're as crazy about her. As long as she's happy, I'm happy."

"Ya know the same goes for me. Long as she's happy, I am too," Danny responded earnestly. "And, to be truthful with ya, Lindsay and I have never talked 'bout the future, but I think about it all the time. She _is _my future - well, I'd like her to be. She makes her own choices, but I'm hopin' she'll chose to be mine."

"Oh I'm pretty sure she will, Danny. She hasn't brought a guy home since high school. Tom McDougal. Nice boy, turned out to be gay," she said, smiling. "Obviously not meant for each other like you two seem to be. Listen, Danny. I don't want to be too presumptuous here, but I'd like to give you something," she said, wiping her hands on her apron. "Give me a second," she said before leaving. Danny kept peeling potatoes, wondering what on earth Kate was going to come back with. He didn't have to wonder long, she was back in a minute, holding a small black box.

"Danny, I know that you and Lindsay haven't really talked about the future or getting married and having kids or any of that, but having you here and seeing you two together makes me absolutely certain that you need to have this. This," she said, opening the box, "was my mother's engagement ring. It had been her mother's, too. It was mine, and I want it to be Lindsay's."

The ring was a simple gold band with a sparkling diamond in the middle, and two smaller diamonds on each side. It was simple, but it was beautiful.

"Wow," Danny exhaled, his only thought how it would look on Lindsay.

"Now, you don't have to propose today, or tomorrow, or even this year, but I want you to hang onto this so whenever you do feel like proposing, you'll have it with you," Kate explained, handing Danny the box.

"I don't know what to say, Kate. Thank you. For this, and for trusting me, I guess," Danny said, giving the older woman a hug.

"Since when did you two become best friends?" Lindsay's sleepy voice sounded surprised. Danny smoothly dropped the box in his pocket, and then went to give Lindsay a good morning kiss.

"Your ma was just tellin me all about little Lindsay," he told her teasingly, to which she groaned.

"Oh no, Mama! You didn't tell him any of the real embarrassing ones, did you?" Lindsay glared at her mother.

"Not any too embarrassing. Although I did promise Danny that we'd look through your album later. There are some pretty incriminating pictures in there, you know," Kate said, smiling at her daughter.

"Oh, I can't wait," Danny said, laughing, and Lindsay smacked him.

"You'll never get your hands on that album Messer!" she demanded. "I can't believe it! I sleep for an extra hour and suddenly my mother and my boyfriend have ganged up against me to humiliate me!"

"Relax, Montana. I still love ya, even if you did dress up in a ball gown and re-enact scenes from Gone With The Wind for you fifth grade talent show," Danny said, trying to get through his sentence with a straight face. "Even if you did parade naked around the neighborhood when you were four because you decided clothes weren't for you." Lindsay shot him a glare of pure venom.

"That it's Messer! No sex! And mom - " she said, wheeling around to face her mother, laughing equally as hard as Danny. "No grandchildren!"

"Well that makes sense if you're banning sex," Kate giggled as Danny gave her a high-five. Lindsay looked at the two of them incredulously.

"Fine!" Lindsay plopped down in a chair. "I give up, you two win!" she pouted. Danny and Kate managed to calm themselves down, and Kate busied herself again at the stove.

"You know, Montana," Danny whispered, sitting down next to her, "I'd love ya in a ball gown, and I'd love you in the hideous dress your ma told me you wore for a month after you sewed it yourself when you were ten, and you know I love ya naked," he said, giving her a kiss on the forehead. Lindsay smiled.

"Such a smooth-talker, aren't you?" she said. "But you're still not getting your hands on that album."

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Like? Hate? Let me know with a review!


	12. Chapter 12

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing!

AUTHOR'S NOTE: sorry I haven't updated in forever. This is the second to last chapter, and then I will do an epilogue, so keep reading! Next chapters up much sooner than this one, I promise!

"So tell me about Thanksgiving!" Olivia Messer sat down at the cafe table across from her older brother. "How was meeting Lindsay's family?"

"Ya know, it wasn't bad at all," Danny replied truthfully. "Her parents and brothers were really nice to me - her dad gave me the typical dad speech but uh, he was real nice." Olivia looked up at Danny amused.

"It's weird, you know?" She mused.

"What's weird?"

"That you're like... in a committed relationship. Daniel Messer, New York's most notorious bachelor, head over heels for a country girl. It's like a modern day love story!" Olivia teased, causing Danny to blush.

"Shut up, will ya?" Danny mumbled, and Olivia laughed out loud.

"Sorry Dan. So when are you gonna propose?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye. Danny blushed again.

"Actually, uh - " he began, and Olivia's eyes widened. "When I was in Montana, her mom actually gave me her grandma's engagement ring. She said no pressure, but uh, this thing is burnin a hole in my pocket!" he admitted.

"Oh my god, Danny! You have a ring in your pocket?! Let me see it," Olivia demanded, and Danny pulled the little box out of his pocket.

"Oh it's beautiful!" Olivia gasped. "Danny, this is amazing. She'll love it - and it was her grandma's! That's so cute!"

"Yeah," Danny agreed, sounding nervous. Olivia looked up at him.

"What, you don't want to ask her to marry you?" she questioned, knowing it wasn't the case.

"Of course I want to ask her!" Danny exclaimed, then lowered his voice. "It's just - I mean, it's scary! I want to marry her more than anything, but what if she says no? I mean, what if -"

"Daniel, shut up," Olivia demanded, looking him in the eye. "You really think Lindsay's gonna say no if you asked her to marry you?"

"Well, no, I mean, I don't know! She deserves so much more than I can give her, Liv! Why should she settle for me?"

"You are an idiot," Olivia said softly. "Danny, first of all, even if you think that Lindsay deserves more than you, that doesn't even matter because she _wants_ you. She doesn't want anyone else, she loves YOU. And secondly, how can you even say you aren't good enough? Danny, do you have any idea how much I look up to you and respect you? And not just because you're my big brother, but because I think you are a wonderful human being. You risk your life for other people on a daily basis, you gave up your entire baseball career to raise me when mom wouldn't, I mean - Danny, you and Lindsay are both great people who deserve all the happiness in the world, and that is why you belong together. Got it?" Olivia spoke quietly but surely, and Danny looked up into her eyes.

"Damn, Liv. That was - that was really nice," he said, taken aback.

"Well, thank you. I am pretty good at the motivational speech," Olivia replied, giving her brother a small smile. "So, proposal? Any ideas?"

"Well, I gotta few," Danny admitted, smiling back at his little sister. "But none of them seem perfect. I want it to be perfect, ya know?"

"Yeah, but I think that it'll be perfect regardless. What have you thought of?"

"Well, I thought of just doing the candles and rose petals thing in our apartment, but that didn't seem right, and then I thought of going back to the Zoo where we first met, but that seemed a little unromantic, you know - the zoo with a million people around, and then I thought of a picnic in central park, but that seems so cheesy and movie-like, so I just don't know!"

"Well, I'm sure you'll come up with a great idea. Aren't you terrified she's gonna find the ring, though?"

"Why do ya think I keep it on me?" Danny laughed. "I just want to make it something she'll never forget - and something she couldn't say no to!"

"Danny, you're the something she couldn't say no to," Olivia teased. "But I understand. I'm sure that when I eventually tell Lindsay about how much thought you put into this proposal and how nervous you were, she'll think it's adorable."

"I never shoulda introduced you two! You're always gangin' up on me. What's a guy supposed to do with two women like you two?" Danny groaned, and Olivia groaned cheekily.

"Sorry bout it, Dan. You should have known better than to introduce us - oh wait, you didn't, _I _introduced myself when I walked in on you two doing it - which, by the way, is an image that is forevermore burned into my skull!"

"Hey, _you_ were the one who barged in! And we weren't - what did you say - _doin it_, we were just cuddling!" Danny retorted, causing Olivia to burst into laughter.

"Cuddling, oh man, big brother, you're a changed man."

"Yeah, and ya know? I kinda like it."


	13. Chapter 13

AUTHOR'S NOTE: you guys all probably hate me for never updating this story but I have been abroad and without a computer for a month, so I'm sorry!! Also, this is the final chapter in the story but there is an EPILOGUE that I swear I will post tomorrow!!

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing affiliated w/ CSI: NY

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"You still got that thing in your pocket?" Flack asked incredulously as Danny pulled the small box from his pocked and snapped it open and closed, a new nervous habit of his. He and Flack were sitting in the break room at the lab, after seven hours on a case they had just solved.

"Aw, shutup!" Danny groaned, rubbing his eyes. "It's not like I haven't tried! I swear to ya, every time I even think about proposing something happens like Mac callin' us in, or Livvy drops' by, or you call because ya somehow managed to get yourself locked in Stella's bathroom on your first date! It's not like I haven't tried! You think I like living in this agony?!"

Flack had the good sense to look slightly ashamed. "Sorry, Dan. I just can't believe Lindsay hasn't found it yet - I mean, it's been what? Two months?" Danny nodded sadly.

"Yep. And it's killin' me! The stress of thinking she could find it at any moment is more than any man should have to take! Why can't we just be married already?" Danny replied, and Flack laughed.

"You're a changed man, Messer."

"Me? Yeah, maybe so but whatta 'bout you, eh Flack? Looks to me like Stel's gotcha wrapped around her little finger," Danny teased his best friend in retaliation, and Flack blushed.

"God, would you look at us? Remember those days when we used to have meaningless sex with an endless parade of beautiful women? What happened to us?" he moaned. "You're about to die from stress over proposal, and I'm trying to convince Stella that I'm a worth it - man, times are rough! And the worst part is – I wouldn't trade this for that again, even if I could!"

"Women. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em," Danny commiserated.

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"Hi baby," Lindsay called as she walked into their apartment later that night. Danny had gotten off two hours earlier, and had decided tonight was the night that he was finally going to ask Lindsay to marry him. He was in the process of cooking a delicious Italian dinner, and had her favorite CD in the player for later. He bought a bouquet of daisies – her favorite flower – but had hidden them for later too. Now, he was in the kitchen, stirring the pasta, when he felt her small arms wrap around him. He turned and gave her a kiss.

"Hey Montana," he murmured. "I'm glad you're home."

"I'm glad to be home," she sighed. "Thanks for making dinner, babe. I'm gonna go change out of these dirty work clothes, go run down to the laundry room, and then we can eat?" He nodded at her plan, gave her another quick peck, and turned his attention back to the stovetop.

"Hey Dan?" Lindsay called from the bedroom. "This shirt of yours and these pants are smelly and disgusting. I'm gonna throw them in with mine, okay?"

"Kay," he called back, adding the sauce to the noodles. And then a thought hit him. What pants was she talking about? The ones he had thrown carelessly on the floor without even thinking about what was in the pocket?

"Damn!" he slammed the spatula into the sink and sprinted towards the bedroom. "Lindsay, I swear if you love me at all you will not - " but he stopped short in the bedroom doorway when he saw Lindsay standing, open-mouthed, his jeans in one hand and the small black velvet box in the other.

"Danny?" she whispered. "What -" she couldn't finish the sentence. Danny couldn't read the look on her face – at the moment it looked like complete shock.

"Oh shit, Montana, I'm such an idiot!" he groaned. "Just, this isn't how this was supposed to happen, ya know!"

"Danny, why do you have my grandmother's engagement ring in your pocket?" she asked calmly, though her voice was trembling. Danny walked over to her and guided her to a seat on the bed. He then got down on one knee, and Lindsay gasped, her eyes already watering.

"Look, Lindsay. I've been tryin' to do this for a long time now, and it's never been the right moment, and this probably isn't the right moment either, but you caught me so it kind of has to be," he flashed her a shaky grin, and she smiled back, biting her lip.

"Montana, I love you. And I wanna keep lovin' you for as long as you'll have me. So, Lindsay Monroe, will you marry me?" He looked up into Lindsay's eyes. Her smile grew and she let out a laugh, all the while tears running down her cheeks.

"Are you kidding me, Messer?" she half-laughed. "Do you really think I'd say anything but yes?"

"So that's a yes, then?" Danny said, picking her up, already knowing it was.

"That is an emphatic yes, Daniel Messer," she replied, kissing him. "You are such an idiot! I can't believe you just left that ring in your pocket for me to find!" she giggled.

"Hey! For your information, I've had that ring for months and you only found it tonight!" He defended himself.

"Months? I mean, how did you even get it?" Lindsay asked, and Danny smiled.

"Actually, your Ma gave it to me when we were in Montana for Thanksgiving," he admitted. "She said she thought I'd want it for whenever I decided to propose. And then I got to thinkin' that I _did_ want to propose. So I tried but then I got interrupted every time, by Mac, and Flack, and Stella when she popped over to gush about her first date with Flack."

Lindsay giggled. "You know, I'm glad I found the ring in your pocket. Do you know how long I've been wondering if you were gonna ask? Now the suspense is over. We're engaged!" She squealed, and Danny laughed at her.

"So, my lovely fiancé, care to join me for a romantic dinner?"

"Not quite yet," Lindsay purred, grabbing her new fiancé by the collar and pulling him towards the bed.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: well here it is guys! The final installment in this story. Takes place about 5 years after the last chapter…. Hope you like it!

ALSO I OWN NOTHING!

"Mama? Gabey is asleep so can we look at pictures now?"

"Yeah, baby, why don't you go get the album?" Lindsay smiled as she watched her daughter run to the other room. At four, she was still just a little thing, and she was all her father – his blue eyes, his smile, but with her mother's sweetness mixed in there too. Sofia ran back into the room clutching a big photo album and climbed into her mother's lap. She never tired of hearing all about the stories behind the pictures, and Danny and Lindsay never tired of telling her.

"Let's start at the beginning," Sofia suggested, twirling her little curls between her fingers.

"Okay," Lindsay agreed, flipping the book open. They looked at pictures of Danny and Lindsay's engagement party, and then pictures of their wedding.

"Mommy you look like a princess!" Sofia gushed as she looked at the wedding pictures.

"Thanks baby," Lindsay laughed. "Look how handsome Daddy looks," she commented. He had looked handsome – and she had looked like a princess. They had decided to get married in New York, but all of her Montana family had flown in for the occasion. It was a small ceremony, but sweet, exactly what they had wanted.

"Look, Sof, that's you! When you were just a little peanut," Lindsay said, pointing to Sofia's first ultrasound. Her daughter looked at her, dubious.

"Mama, I know you always say that is me, but I don't think I was ever _that_ small!" Sofia exclaimed seriously, and Lindsay laughed. She remembered that day perfectly – how nervous she and Danny were, and how amazing it was to hear their baby's heartbeat. The second time around, two years later, it wasn't any less amazing.

"And here you are, Sofey! The very first picture of you and Daddy," Lindsay said, her heart swelling at the picture of a very tired looking Danny gently cradling his hours old daughter.

_"Okay, Lindsay, just one more push, you're almost there," Dr. Radcliff encouraged. _

_"Danny, Danny I can't do this," Lindsay cried, squeezing his hand harder._

_"Yes you can, baby. Montana, our baby girl is almost here, you can do it!" Lindsay gritted her teeth and shut her eyes and pushed and all of a sudden, she heard a little cry._

_"Look, Lindsay, look. She's here!" Danny himself was crying, and the nurse placed a clean Sofia in his arms._

_"Hi baby girl," he whispered, stroking her perfect little face. "Come on, no crying. Sofia Eleanor Messer-Monroe, you are a beauty just like your ma," the sight of Danny melting over his daughter had Lindsay in tears. Danny carefully placed their daughter in his wife's arms, where both mother and baby instantly fell asleep. _

_When Lindsay woke up, still exhuasted, she felt a momentary panic when she realized she didn't have Sofia. Then she saw Danny, sitting in the corner of the room in the rocking chair, talking to Sofia._

_"You are gonna be the most loved baby in all of New York," he told his daughter. "And I'm gonna teach you how to play ball and poker, and I'll even play dolls with you if you want. And I'm gonna come to all your plays and dance recitals, and I apologize in advance for embarrassing you in front of your prom date," Danny kept talking to his little baby girl, and Lindsay knew Sofia was already a daddy's girl._

"Is this the first time I met Aunt Livvy?" Sofia asked, and Lindsay broke out of her daydream to look at a picture from the same day, of a very happy looking Olivia holding her tiny niece.

"Yep," Lindsay replied. "She was so excited that we named you Sofia!"

"'Cause that's her middle name," Sofia said proudly, her Aunt Livvy was her favorite person and choice babysitter.

"Hey look who I found," Danny said, entering the room, carrying a squirming little boy over his shoulder. If Sofia was all her father lookswise, Gabe was his mother, with brown hair and deep brown eyes. "Gabe here managed to make it out of his crib again, but luckily I found him in hall on my way in," he said, flipping Gabe down to the floor, causing the baby to squeal with delight.

"Daddy!" Sofia yelled, and ran to Danny.

"Hey princess. You guys lookin' at the pictures again?"

"Yep! Come on let's all look together!" Sofia said, pulling Danny to the couch, where Lindsay had already scooped up her son into her lap. They flipped through more pictures, of Sofia's first Christmas and birthday, and they were turning to the page where the pictures from Lindsay's second baby shower was when a huge burp came from the smallest person on the couch.

"Gabriel Louis!" Sofia scolded her baby brother, laughing. "Say excuse me!" Sofia was giggling, and taking his cue from his big sister, Gabe started laughing too, and pretty soon Danny and Lindsay joined in.

"uuuse me!" Gabe said between laughs, and Lindsay planted a kiss on his forehead.

"Come on Gabey let's go get the next album!" Sofia said, dragging her little brother off the couch, leaving Danny and Lindsay alone.

"Oh hey," Lindsay said as Danny leaned over to give her a kiss. "How was work baby?"

"Good. Caught the bad guy," he smiled. "You have tomorrow off too?"

"Mmhmm. But I promised Stella I'd go shopping with her for baby supplies."

"Sounds fun. Wanna just order pizza tonight? Yesterday the only way I could get Sofey to go to bed was to promise that we'd watch The Sound of Music tonight," Danny laughed.

"She's stubborn," Lindsay agreed. "Wonder who she gets that from?"

"Oh, haha Montana. I'm not the stubborn one, that's all you!"

"Whatever, cowboy. Order that pizza and I'm pretty sure your son needs his diaper changed."

"Thanks for letting me take care of that, Monroe," Danny said, getting up and walking towards the giggling he heard from Sofia's room.

"Hey!" Lindsay called to his retreating back.

"What?" Danny asked, poking his head of the bedroom with a clean diaper in one hand and Gabe in the other.

"Love you," Lindsay said, smiling.

"Love you too."


End file.
